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The heartwrenching story of Gazan doctor couple who lost 9 children in Israeli strike
Nine of a doctor's ten children were killed in Israel's renewed military offensive in Gaza. Palestinian Civil Defence/Reuters
An Israeli air strike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed nine children and left their father in intensive care, as the military intensified its operations in Gaza.
Hamdi Al-Najjar, a doctor, was at home in Khan Younis with his ten children when the air strike hit. Only one of his children survived.
He was taken to Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, where he is receiving treatment for his injuries.
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Notably, Israel has stepped up its offensive in Gaza over the past few days, leading to international criticism and fresh appeals to allow more aid into the area. This comes after it slightly relaxed a full blockade on supplies that began on March 2.
In this explainer, we look at what happened when the Israeli strike hit the region, what Israel said about the incident, and its recent ground operations in Gaza.
Let's take a look:
What happened?
Nine of a doctor's ten children were killed in Israel's renewed military offensive , according to Gaza health officials.
Alaa Najjar, a paediatrician at Nasser Hospital, was on duty when the strike happened. She rushed home to find the house in flames, said Ahmad al-Farra, head of the hospital's paediatric department.
Her husband, Hamdi al-Najjar, was seriously injured, and their only surviving child, an eleven-year-old son, was critically wounded in Friday's attack on Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Farra said.
The children who died were aged between seven months and twelve years. Khalil Al-Dokran, a spokesperson for Gaza's Health Ministry, told Associated Press that two of the children were still trapped under the rubble.
Of the ten children, only one survived, along with their father, Hamdi al-Najjar, 40, who is also a doctor. Both are now in the hospital.
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Abdul Aziz Al-Farra, a thoracic surgeon, told Reuters that Hamdi had two surgeries to stop bleeding in his abdomen and chest. He also suffered other injuries, including to his head.
Alaa, Najjar's wife, had been treating Palestinians wounded in the ongoing conflict with Israel in the same hospital where her husband and son are now being treated.
'This is the reality our medical staff in Gaza endure. Words fall short in describing the pain,' said Muneer Alboursh, director general of the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. He also accused Israel of 'wiping out entire families'.
Hamdi Al-Najjar lies in a hospital bed in the Intensive Care Unit at Nasser Hospital. Reuters
Video released by the civil defence agency showed rescuers pulling badly burned bodies from the ruins of the home.
When her daughter Nibal's body was found, Alaa screamed her name, her brother-in-law recalled.
The next day, under a tent set up near the destroyed home, the respected paediatrician sat in silence, still in shock.
Around her, women cried as the sound of explosions echoed across Gaza, which has been under fire for more than a year and a half.
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What did Israel say?
When asked about the incident, the Israeli military said it had 'struck a number of suspects who were identified operating from a structure' close to its troops.
It added that 'the Khan Younis area is a dangerous warzone'.
The military said the claim about civilian casualties was 'under review'.
An evacuation warning for the city had been issued on Monday. However, the family's relatives said the air strike on Friday afternoon happened without any warning.
Israel's new offensive in Gaza
Israel's latest military campaign in Gaza aims to take control of about 75 per cent of the territory within two months, according to Israeli media reports citing a military briefing.
The operation is intended to defeat Hamas or push its leaders into exile, while also increasing pressure on the group to release the hostages taken during its attack on October 7, 2023.
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The conflict, now stretching beyond 20 months, has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza.
Since early March, Israel has tightened its blockade on Gaza and its over two million residents. Limited aid deliveries resumed on Monday for the first time since the full blockade began on March 2, with a few trucks finally reaching Palestinians in need.
However, Gaza City's municipality issued a warning on Saturday about the risk of a major water crisis, saying it lacked the materials required to repair damaged infrastructure.
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Meanwhile, demonstrators gathered again in Tel Aviv on Saturday night for their regular protest demanding the release of the hostages. They carried a large banner reading, 'Save the hostages, end the war.'
A protest demanding the end of the war and the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. AP
The war began in October 2023 when Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking 251 hostages.
Israel's response has focused on dismantling Hamas and securing the return of the hostages. According to Gaza health officials, more than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 16,500 children under the age of 18. Most of the dead are civilians, the health ministry says.
On Friday, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said Palestinians were now facing 'the cruellest phase' of the war, with Israel's long-running blockade causing severe shortages of food and medicine.
With inputs from agencies
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